Posted on 01/03/2016 1:07:31 PM PST by EveningStar
A couple of years ago, I participated in an Aspen Institute symposium on the state of race. During the roundtable that followed the panels, as I spoke about my experiences growing up black in the 1990s, I was interrupted by a Latino sociologist and former gang member from UC Santa Barbara. People who care about people of color, the professor instructed me, ought to focus their energies on continued systemic racism and forget about anything so nebulous and untrustworthy as observation. Like it or not, I was the victim of greater social forces. It did not matter that I had come to see my life as something of my own making -- the evidence of my senses was useless...
While prejudice and inequality have proven tenacious, if we take the expression "black lives matter" seriously, we must also accept when black autonomy, equality and even privilege exist. To do otherwise is like overprescribing antibiotics: a valuable defensive tool grows impotent through overuse. Our reflexive indignation fosters a laziness of thought that, paradoxically, can reinforce some of the very anti-black biases it hopes to wipe out.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
The issue is never the issue.
The issue is always the revolution.
It’s not about racism. At all.
Racism is just a tool to get them to where they want the world to be.
He’ll be pilloried by the same folks who went after John McWhorter for daring to opine that being black today isn’t 100% persecution and misery.
This guy is going to get destroyed.
This can't be stated enough. I'm much more race-conscious now than I was in high school and college - and not in a good way.
The issue is economics.
Two of my nieces are half black and have taken after their father in appearance. When they visited my daughter in S.F., they got lost in an area infested with black gangs and drugs. When the three of them found their way out, my nieces told my daugther ‘wow! That was scary!’
One is a college grad (MA ) and working in a professional environment, and the other a small business owner.
This guy is sort of interesting to me. He wrote a book about how his dad never gave up on rescuing him from the black culture of hip hop/rap and low expectations.
From what I remember, even when he arrived at Georgetown, it took him about a year to realize that he could pull away from the black community and it’s crime-ridden expectations for young men.
All that having been said, he probably has had a slightly easier time with hard core racism from whites because:
1. His family was intact.
2. His mother is white.
3. He is light skinned.
4. He married a white woman.
5. His own daughter looks white.
“The issue is economics.”
The issue is the “Bell Curve” and all its ramifications, which can be seen all over the world.
None of the “conversations” on race want to touch this with a ten foot pole.
The guy who wrote this article is half white and has a white daughter.
I wish these people would specifically state what racist incidents they have experienced. I’ve always considered human beings to be basically ‘herd’ animals. If you aren’t part of an individual’s herd, you’re going to be ostracized.
As a child I was told by another that they couldn’t play with me because my father was in the military. A sister got the only B in her entire academic career from a Japanese teacher who only gave A’s to Japanese students. I’m not beautiful & will never measure up some standards. So what?! Blacks need to come to terms with human nature, annoying as it is, & just concern themselves with their own behavior. These days that’s the only thing that will hold them back.
Why not start to build decent morals, businesses, jobs instead of worrying about what someone thinks of you?
Yike’s...my husband says the same!
A very thoughtful article by a black man who gets it.
Most of the incidents they would offer as examples are actually just examples that could happen to anyone of any color, they just are programmed to blame it on their race.
Men will always treat an attractive woman better than an ugly fat one.
That’s just a fact.
Thus:
If you are an ugly fat woman and see a man treat a hot white girl like a queen then when dealing with you, treats you like you are not even there... you blame the difference in treatment on your being ugly or fat.
BUT.
If you are an ugly fat and black... you blame the difference in treatment on racism.
Millions of white people fail daily. If people only fail because someone is oppressing them, then who is oppressing all the white failures? Supposedly, they can't fail because they've got all that "white privilege."
If people can fail (and they do fail) despite being "privileged," it means there is no such thing as lack of privilege causing you to fail. Most likely if you're a loser, you did it to yourself.
I think many ex liberal, white people (not necessarily you) are totally fed up. Years ago they backed all the right causes and efforts to help minorities and eliminate those barriers that were supposedly keeping black people down.
Now, after fifty years, they find out they're still nasty, white racists who want to keep black people down. These same white people just don't care anymore. They're tired of all the whining, complaining and excuses for failure and lawless behavior.
I hear about this white privilege, but all I’ve ever seen in my life is black privilege and excuses.
I also have “former black friends”; too much low-information feedback. Obama is the Great Divider...
Exactly. Which is why we need to know specifically what things they’re dealing with to know if race is really the issue.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.